It was a normal average morning in Major Crimes. Captain Simon Banks was in his office poring over paperwork, an unlit cigar absently twirling in the fingers of his left hand. The detectives were coming and going as they dealt with their respective cases. Detective Jim Ellison sat at his desk poring over his own relentless paperwork when the whirlwind figure of his partner entered the Bullpen.

"Hi Jim," Blair said, smiling in greeting and then sitting down in his customary chair next to the detective's desk.

"Hi Chief how was uni today?" the Sentinel asked, glad of the diversion offered by his partner.

"Good. How's your day been so far?"

"The usual. Lots of paperwork."

"I can help you out with that for a couple of hours but then I gotta head back to the uni. My research group is meeting this afternoon."

"I've got to go interview a witness later, so I won't be here this afternoon myself. You haven't forgotten our little get together tonight have you?"

"No Jim, I haven't forgotten. I'll meet you at the restaurant at 6pm."

"Good, everyone will be there. Don't be late!"

"I won't," Blair emphasised.

Jim, Blair, Simon, Rafe, Henry and Joel were all meeting at Thorn Inn Your Side restaurant for a meal. No special occasion other than work colleagues deciding to have a meal together. They encountered so much death and misery whilst doing their job, they needed a distraction and something to lift their spirits. Blair was considered a member of the Major Crimes department and was automatically included in any extracurricular activities the Major Crimes department came up with.

For the next couple of hours the anthropologist helped the detective get his paperwork into some sort of order. Though Blair's life often revolved around chaos and he often left the loft untidy (especially the bathroom) and more than lived in, where it came to the written word no one could match the grad student. Blair was as asset to his detective friend and Jim knew it. Though on occasion Sandburg's messy living arrangements often annoyed the hell out of the military precise detective, he wouldn't change his friend for anything. He also constantly helped him out with controlling and living every day with his Sentinel abilities. That alone was worth any side effects living in the Sandburg Zone created.

"It's about friendship."

Blair had said that once and no truer words had been spoken. Blair was friend, colleague, conscience and partner all rolled into one endless bundle of enthusiasm and energy.

Jim arrived first at the restaurant, only the scene wasn't exactly what he was expecting. In a daze he parked his Ford and got out. He glanced at the restaurant; where he was due to meet his friends, which was now on fire. Fire was visible through the windows and smoke was issuing from the roof and every possible space or gap in the building. En route Jim had heard a loud explosion, even with his Sentinel hearing down to normal levels. It looked like an explosion of some sort had occurred at the back and fire had quickly spread throughout the rest of the building. People were milling around also in a dazed state. He had seen some smoke drifting into the sky but had no idea it had been coming from the place he was heading towards. He had been prepared to call it in if he had found the source of the smoke.

Now he was concerned for his five friends. The Fire Department wasn't in attendance yet, so he phoned it in, knowing they preferred numerous calls to an incident instead of someone thinking that someone else would call it in. As he spoke the location of the restaurant, his eyes scanned the parking lot for any signs of his friends' cars. He couldn't see any cars that he recognised and he breathed a sigh of relief at that. Despite running late himself, it looked like he was the first to arrive. Jim glanced at his watch and saw that it was 6.15pm.

Jim moved forward to see if he could help anyone, as the first emergency siren could be heard in the distance and getting steadily closer every second. He flashed his badge and told a few members of the public to keep back.

As he checked the situation Jim tried Sandburg's cellphone but there was no answer, and the detective silently cursed grad students that didn't answer their phones. Next he tried Simon's number and the captain answered on the second ring.

"This had better be good detective!" Banks barked.

"Sir, I'm at the restaurant and..." Jim started to explain.

"I know I'm late," Simon cut in. "I'm having car trouble okay, I'll be there as soon as I can."

"That's okay sir. It's just there's a fire."

"Where?"

"At the restaurant we're meeting at."

"Is it serious?"

"Only if you like well barbecued food, the whole building's on fire."

"Oh God! Is anyone hurt? What about the gang from Major Crimes."

"I think I'm the first here and I can't see any of the guys' cars in the parking lot."

"Stay put Jim, I should be there in five minutes. Don't worry, I'm sure everyone's alright."

"I hope so sir," Jim added as he glanced round at the confused situation around him.

Simon promptly hung up as Jim tried Blair's cellphone again.

Where are you Chief? he said to himself, as he saw Joel Taggart's familiar car enter the car parking area.

The Captain of the Bomb Squad was open mouthed as he got out of his car. Jim rushed over to him and filled him in on what he knew. A few minutes later Henri and Rafe arrived together. Both detectives were stunned to see the eating establishment where they were planning to have an enjoyable meal, now being totally consumed by fire. A short while after H and Rafe, Jim saw Simon's car arrive. That just left the anthropologist all too absent.

Jim glanced at his watch, it was getting close to 6.30. They were due to have met at 6pm and there was still no sign of his roommate. For the umpteenth time Jim tried his partner's cellphone and once again there was no answer.

"Where's Sandburg?" Simon asked, as he joined the rest of his colleagues.

"That's what I'm trying to find out," Jim mused as he rung off again. He still wasn't answering his phone.

"Jim..." H said, as he knew something about the grad student's plans and he wasn't sure how he was going to tell his fellow detective.

"What is it H?" the Sentinel could see the concerned look on the black detective's face.

"Hairboy called the Bullpen earlier. He said his car had broken down again and wouldn't start. I offered to pick him up but he said he was going to catch a bus here."

"What time was that?"

"About five. He knew you couldn't pick him up interviewing that witness," he explained to Jim. "I told him to phone your cell but he said he wouldn't bother you and would just meet us here."

"Was he still at Rainier?" Jim asked and H nodded. "Even if he had to wait for a bus, the buses run every few minutes from Rainier at that time of day." Jim's mind was whirling with alarming speed at the implications and what it could mean. "He'd have been here by 5.45 at the latest." Jim's blue eyes drifted to the burning restaurant. "No!" he cried and took a step forward towards the blazing building.

"No, Jim," Simon said gently and put his hand on the detective's shoulder and gripped it firmly.

"But Simon, Blair might be in there."

"Might, but there's a stronger chance he isn't. He was probably just delayed at the uni, besides Jim, the building's an inferno, you can't go in there. The Fire Department wouldn't let you go in there."

"But sir, Blair," Jim cried in anguish.

"I know Jim, but there's nothing you can do for now," Simon stated adamantly.

Simon squeezed Jim's shoulder telling him he understood his concerns, and that he was concerned too about the grad student, but rationality had to prevail at the moment.

Jim scanned the windows with his Sentinel vision but he could only see fire and smoke. Then he tuned his hearing into the building but all he could hear were the sounds of crackling flames feeding on the building's fuel, there were no heartbeats discernible inside.

The five men sadly watched the scene before them, the blaze taking on a new connotation as they wondered if Blair was inside. They watched the firefighters training their hoses onto the conflagration. Black smoke billowed in waves into the evening sky. Jim's mind was in turmoil; his instincts were telling him to rush into the building to search it for his friend and Guide. The rational part of his mind telling him if Blair was in there he was already dead. The whole structure was ablaze, nothing could still be living in that inferno.

Jim's detective mind was wondering if Blair had arrived early and if he had been waiting inside for them. Had he tried to help someone inside escape when the fire was discovered and paid the ultimate price? It would have been so like Blair to help someone in need with no consideration for himself.

Simon saw the incident's fire chief and walked over to him.

"I'm Captain Simon Banks of Cascade PD. What's the situation?"

"I'm Captain Luke Archer. An explosion occurred in a rear kitchen. We don't know the cause of it yet. Three kitchen workers are still unaccounted for."

"What about customers?" Simon asked.

"As yet we have no official numbers. I've spoken to the restaurant's manager and he said there were at least twenty-five customers inside when the fire started. We believe everyone got out okay but things were pretty chaotic as you can imagine."

"One of my men, an observer, could have been inside when the fire started."

"I'm sorry captain; I can't give you any more details at the moment. I can't send any firefighters with breathing apparatus inside to search for casualties. The roof looks like it's ready to collapse. It's just not safe. All we can do is fight the fire from an offensive stance outside the building."

"I understand. Thank you Captain Archer," Simon said and turned to look at Jim.

Simon knew the detective had heard every word the two captains had spoken with his Sentinel hearing.

"Captain Banks," the Fire captain added. "If your man was inside when the fire broke out he wouldn't have had long to get out. The fire progressed very rapidly. I have a feeling their fire certificate wasn't up to code. One of the emergency exits was blocked by debris from inside."

Simon nodded grimly and moved back to his colleagues and told them what the Fire captain had told him.

"He couldn't have been inside," Jim said to no one in particular.

"Keep trying his cellphone," Joel added frantically. Not liking the idea that Blair might be dead inside the structure they were all standing around and staring intently at.

"I've tried it I don't know how many times," Jim replied frustratedly. "It's just not ringing."

"What happened?" a voice suddenly asked behind the five Police officers.

They all turned in unison, with obvious delight, on hearing that familiar voice.

"Chief you're okay!" Jim said and stepped forward and pulled the grad student to him in a tight embrace. "Thank God!"

Simon's eyebrows raised at the sight of his normally stalwart detective showing such open affection and emotion to the younger man.

"I'm fine," Blair uttered, a little surprised by Jim's reaction. "Are you okay Jim?" Blair asked concerned at seeing his normally stoic friend looking so rattled. He was practically crushing him his embrace was so tight.

"Me, I'm fine, it's just that...well we were all concerned about you," Jim defended as Blair finally managed to disengage himself from the cop's tight hug.

"I rang H and told him my car broke down 'again'," Blair explained.

"He told us. We thought you would have gotten here earlier, which is why we thought you might have been inside when the fire started," Jim explained.

"You thought I might be in that," Blair glanced at the burning building and could see why Jim and the others were so concerned about him. "I caught the bus but the damn thing broke down didn't it! Man, I swear the buses are more unreliable than the Volvo is," Blair cursed wryly. "I had to wait ages for the next one to turn up and then that one was full."

"I tried to phone you," Jim stated.

"Sorry about that man, that one's my fault I forgot to charge the battery in my phone," he explained to his friend with a sheepish boyish grin. "What happened to the restaurant?"

"An explosion," Simon informed the anthropologist. "There are three staff members unaccounted for and the Fire Department weren't sure if all the customers got out."

"How awful," Blair replied thinking about the three people he didn't know, but who could possibly be inside that raging inferno.

He'd been so annoyed at his car for breaking down and then the bus breaking down and having to wait and wait to finally get another one. But he suddenly realised that it didn't matter, not when you were faced with the fact that three people or more could have lost their lives when they were just going about their normal daily lives. It suddenly put everything back into perspective.

The six men turned then and watched the scene continue to unfold in front of them. The firefighters worked tirelessly to bring the fire under control. They used their high pressure jets from the air onto the roof and through the failed windows. It wasn't a battle they could win. Finally the roof gave way, with a creak of splintering wood, and it fell inside sending up a shower of sparks and huge volumes of smoke sauntered up high into the blue sky.

The six friends watched for a while longer but there was nothing they could do. Uniformed Cascade Police officers had arrived during their conversation and had set up a cordon and were keeping the public at bay out of harm's way.

"Let's get out of here," Simon said.

"We could go to another restaurant," Rafe said.

Jim didn't feel up to it, the scare of possibly losing his friend and Guide had physically shocked and exhausted him. He glanced surreptitiously at his Guide so glad that he was safe and no words could express that relief.

"Let's just go back to the loft. We can order something in and chill out there," Blair suggested, for which Jim was grateful. A crowded restaurant was the last place he wanted to be.

"Sounds like a good idea," Simon replied.

The captain and other detectives went to their respective cars and Jim was joined by his roommate in his truck.

"I'm okay, Jim," Blair said quietly, knowing Jim so well that he would still be thinking about it.

They left the restaurant's parking lot and started the drive back to Prospect.

"I know you are, Chief," Jim responded once more resuming his normal cool and stoic exterior. "Just remember to keep your phone charged up at all times, Darwin."

"I will, sorry man, I didn't mean to worry you," Blair stated contritely and the anthropologist was silent for a few moments. "Man, am I glad the Volvo chose today to break down, I would have hated to have been in that restaurant when it caught fire."

Jim remained quiet but he couldn't stop his mind imagining the vision that if Blair had have arrived early and had been inside when the fire had begun its rampage. He was sure the images of his friend caught in that fire and unable to escape would invade his nightmares for a long time. Fire when it rampaged and trapped a person within its fury, did terrible things to human flesh. The debilitating smoke wasn't the worst of it, but the flames blackened and distorted anything it touched. It twisted limbs and destroyed skin leaving the victim unrecognisable. It was a chilling and sobering thought if his friend had have died like that. He wasn't sure what he would have done if Blair had have been killed. The Sentinel in him wanted to protect his friend and keep him safe.

It was academic now as Blair was safely beside him in the truck and the detective forced the melancholy thoughts away, Blair was alright, and he had to focus on that positive thought instead.

Later back at the loft after everyone had eaten their fill of pizza and an odd beer or two had been consumed.

"I've been thinking," Blair suddenly said.

"Oh no, now we're in for it," Jim joked.

"I'm serious," the grad student continued a thoughtful look on his face. "You know we were all pretty lucky today. Looking at today's events from a purely scientific perspective, we were all doing our own thing, all planned to arrive for 6 o'clock at the restaurant but none of us actually arrived when we planned to. We were all late. I was wondering if there was more to it."

"What do you mean?" Joel asked, who always had time for the observer's views.

"I mean that we were all lucky that we couldn't make it on time to the restaurant, if we had all been on time, we would have been caught in the fire. Why were you late Joel?" Blair enquired.

"I was driving to the restaurant, I planned to be early as I hate arriving late."

"But something caused you to arrive late," Blair prompted.

"Yeah, I was only a couple of blocks away when the car in front of me broke down. It suddenly stopped dead, right in the middle of traffic. The poor woman wasn't sure what to do and was in tears, so I stopped to help her move her car and then called for a tow truck."

"If you hadn't stopped to help her and just drove past her to the restaurant, you would have arrived on time and been in the restaurant when the fire occurred," Blair hypothesised.

"Yes, I see what you're saying Blair but it was my choice I didn't have to stop and help the woman, I made the conscious choice to stop and help her," Joel stated.

"Because you're a good guy Joel," Jim said.

"It was fifty/fifty choice," Joel added and shrugging his shoulders modestly.

"Where does that leave your scientific observation Blair?" Simon asked.

"Maybe it was a test," Blair replied, not being beaten.

"Test?" Simon asked, almost afraid to encourage the observer.

"Yeah," Blair continued and Jim could almost see the cogs turning in his inquisitive mind as he voiced his thoughts. "Joel, you were given a choice. You could either stop and help the woman, or ignore her and arrive on time..."

"And possible be dead now," Joel finished.

"Exactly," Blair replied enthusiastically.

"You're reading too much into this Chief."

"Jim, you didn't believe in Charlie Spring at first and look how his psychic abilities helped us with the kidnapping of that little girl."

"True," the detective conceded.

"I had a strange thing happen earlier," Rafe said quietly. Everyone turned to look at the dark haired detective.

"What happened to you Rafe?" Blair asked his curiosity piqued; he knew he was onto something with all this.

"I was at the Bullpen and I was nearly finished for the day and was just putting my paperwork together. I wanted to show the captain something in the morning. The time was getting on and I didn't want to be late meeting with you guys. So I got it all neatly together and then a gust of wind blew it all off my desk. It took me fifteen minutes to get it all back in order again."

"Someone opened a door," Joel offered.

"Or a window," Henry added.

"There was no one around I looked, I was going to shout at them for creating me more work but there was no one to remonstrate with. The place was empty."

"Maybe there was a cleaner," Simon added.

"No one was anywhere, but it was only one gust of wind, really cold and then nothing. I don't know where it came from."

"But it delayed you just enough so you'd be late," Blair stated.

Rafe nodded. "I know it sounds ridiculous."

"Not at all," Blair replied. "How about you captain why were you late?"

"I had a flat tyre," the captain replied. "Nothing sinister or supernatural in that. There was a nail in the tyre, plain and simple."

"But why did you have the flat tyre today? Why not yesterday or day before that," Blair offered.

"I suppose you're going to say that it was my destiny or something Sandburg," Simon added not believing a scrap of this hokum.

"All I know is that if you hadn't had that flat tyre today, when the rest of us were delayed for various reasons, you would have gotten to the restaurant first, gone in and could have died in the explosion or the fire."

Simon didn't have a reply to that logic.

"What about you H why were you late?"

"I was meeting an informant earlier and then going back to the station to pick up Rafe, but my informant was late."

"Why was he late?" Blair enquired

"He said the bus he was on broke down."

"Hardly a supernatural happening Einstein," Jim said trying to remain Devil's advocate, despite the evidence that Blair was drumming up.

"True, a bus can break down for a variety of reasons like mine did earlier. But H's informant happened to be on the very bus that broke down that in turn caused the informant to be late, which then caused H to be late in meeting us. Probably saving his life and Rafe's too," Blair explained.

"You can qualify it all you like, it just seems a lot of coincidence to me. Other than Rafe's explanation, which I've got to admit I don't know the answer to; everyone had a minor hindrance that could happen any day," Jim stated.

"Yes, but it didn't happen any day, it happened today and it caused all of us, all of us, to be late for a rendezvous. Me, I'm always running late but you Jim you're always early for everything. Why were you late today?"

"I was stuck in a traffic jam. I didn't have any influence on that. And before you say it Chief, it's a coincidence. There's always traffic at that time of night, I could have gone a different way. I thought about it..." Jim said then stopped.

"But you didn't, you continued on knowing you would probably get stuck in traffic and be delayed," Blair observed.

"Yeah, I guess I did," the detective replied reluctantly and then ran his fingers over his lips thoughtfully.

"You know I was late because my car broke down," Blair stated.

"But your car is always breaking down," Jim added and everyone laughed.

"Yeah, but it's quite a coincident that the bus I caught broke down too," he added.

"Whatever way you look at it Chief," Jim stated. "We'll never prove one way or the other what happened tonight. For whatever reason whether it be coincidence, kismet, fate or whatever. All I know is that I'm grateful that none of us was in that building when it exploded or had the subsequent fire."

"We shouldn't look a gift horse huh," H added.

"At least three restaurant workers died and two others were injured," Rafe added. "That's the latest."

Everyone sobered at that. Glad that they were alive but silently thinking and sympathising for those who weren't so lucky and their families.

"We were spared for a reason," Blair added.

"Here we go again," Jim stated rolling his eyes. "Looking for something deep in meaningful in something that's probably just totally coincidental."

"No man what I mean is," Blair paused and took a breath; he wasn't quite sure what he really meant. "We could have all died today."

"You can cross a street and be killed," Simon interjected.

"Touché," Blair conceded. "Okay I concede the point that there is no rhyme nor reason, no actual tangible evidence for what happened today to any of us. I'm just glad that you guys are all alright." Everyone nodded at that statement.

"We're all alive and enjoying each others' company," Jim stated.

"We should enjoy the moment," Joel added.

"Exactly," Blair replied.

"Here's to friends then," Jim said holding up his bottle of beer in a toast.

His friends held up their respective bottles and each then took a sip of the dark liquid contained within to seal the oath.

"To friends..." Jim said simply but looking in Blair's direction as he spoke.

"....Friends..." everyone said together.

There was nothing more to be said. Each had a different reason for arriving late and whether they believed in paranormal events or not, it didn't matter.

All they knew was that they were all just glad to be safe and alive with friends.